Never the same
by EpicicDude
Summary: Jack Brewer is never the same after being raped by an unknown assailant who had somehow tricked Jack into going to an alleyway void of people. Just when jack feels his life can't be ruined any further, more bad things keep happening. Will Rudy be able to help Jack through this mess? or will Jack lose it and end his own misery?
1. The incident

**NEVER THE SAME: chapter one**

**POV: Jack Brewer**

_I wonder where the guys are... _I thought as I walked down the alleyway. They said they'd meet me here. I had gotten their texts, each telling me thy'd be here at exactly 10:30pm. Why so late? No idea. I looked at my watch it was 10:49. I sighed and leaned back against the wall. I saw a shadow on the wall. I straitened and looked down the alley both ways. I didn't see anyone. _Thanks guys, this is a really great place to tell me to wait so late at night! _I inwardly cursed my friends as I kept hearing frightening sounds. But I wasn't frightened. I was Jack Brewer, I had a black belt in karate, I would be fine.

I glanced at my watch again. 11:30. I tapped my foot impatiently. _Come on guys..._ I'm not saying I was scared, I was just...I heard another sound. Cautious. I bit my lip, leaning against the wall again and staring up at the stars barely visible in the gap created between the two buildings. In the moments- though few- my mind was captivated by the stars, someone had sneaked up on me. I didn't know what hit me.

**POV: Jack Brewer (five and a half hours later)**

I moaned, waking. I was in pain, and I was cold. I tried to move, tried to let myself know I was alive. I blinked open my eyes. They felt crusty. The world was blurry and dark.

When I finally regained my vision, I realized I was fully naked and my hands were bound tightly. I struggled against the ropes. I panted, weak.

How had this happened to me? Not just anyone could sneak up on me... not just anyone. I sat up, trying to figure out where I was. It looked like the same alleyway I had been in... when was that?

I looked around and saw my clothes piled on the ground, they were dirty and ripped. I managed to get the ropes off and dress myself. My shirt was a total mess, it was ripped down the front, with holes in the arms and other places. My jeans had rips in them too, and I couldn't even replace my underwear, it was ripped down the side and would no longer stay on.

I fumbled with my watch, which had been with my clothes. I put it on and pushed the button. 5:00am. It read. I let my arms drop. What time had it been when i last checked my watch? 11:30pm.

"Five an a half hours..." I murmured. What could have happened in those five and a half hours? Any number of things. I swallowed hard when one thing in particular kept playing in my mind. Vague memories of half-consciousness came to me. I recoiled in horror when my memory played back relentlessly. I had been raped!

**POV: Rudy Gillespie**

_"Rudy, I present you with this...__***KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK* **__...award for your skills in martial... __***KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK* **__... thank you for being you." I leaned my head down and accepted the medal, and the huge golden trophy presented to me by my... __***KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK* **__..."stop knocking, Rudy"... no, that wasn't right? Bobby Wasabi was supposed to say '"I couldn't have done it without you Rudy.'" Not __***KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.* **__... yeah, that._

I was rudely awaken from my amazing dream. I grumbled and threw the covers aside. I looked at the clock. it was 5:30am Who could it possibly be? I quickly dressed. _***KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK***_Came the same, persistent knocking. "I'm coming!" I yelled, running down the stairs. I opened the door, my eyes drooping. My eyes widened when I saw Jack standing there unsteadily, looking ready to collapse. 'Jack!" I cried, grabbing the boy and ushering him inside.

"What's the matter?" I asked, knowing he would never come over at this hour, looking the way he did unless it were an emergency. I made him sit down. He leaned back, closing his eyes. I turned a light on. He looked even worse under the dim light of my lamp. His face was bruised and cut, his shirt was torn down the front and he wasn't wearing any shoes. He was a complete mess.

"Jack, what happened to you?" I asked again. He forced his eyes open, and they rested on me, very unfocused. I swallowed. Something was wrong. Something was _very _wrong. He closed his eyes again without replying. I stood and came over to him, feeling his head. It was hot. He felt sick. I knew right now, his mother was in another state, so naturally, if something were wrong, he would have come here.

I carefully picked him up, and he didn't protest, which was not a good sign. Instead, his head hung limply over my arm. I grabbed the keys to my car and walked out onto the porch. I unlocked the car and gently placed jack in the back seat. 'Hold on Jack." I told him before closing the door.

**POV: Rudy Gillespie (twenty minutes later)**

I pulled into the hospital and parked the car. I jumped out and ran to get jack. He was laying over the seats, his eyes half-closed, staring at nothing. 'Hold on Jack, just hold on." I told him, pulling him out and carrying him. "He needs immediate medical attention." I told the lady at the front desk. "Name?" She asked. "Jackson Brewer." I told her. "One moment." She was probably pulling up his files.

I bit my lip. shifting my weight, glad Jack didn't weigh much. Some nurses came out with a bed on wheels. I carefully laid him down. They immediately rolled him back. I stared after him, still chewing nervously on my lower lip. I looked at the front-desk lady. She smiled and I stared back at her, not smiling. I sighed. I guess I'd have to wait.

**(A/N: okay, I know it's not that great, but I'd still like to know what you think! Please leave a review so I know you care? thanks!)**


	2. The note

**POV: Rudy Gillespie (two hours later)**

**Time: 7:50am ; eight hours and twenty minutes since the start of the incident. **

****I woke up, startled, when I felt a hand shake my shoulder. I looked up tiredly at a nurse. "Jackson Brewer?" She asked. "I'm his guardian, yes?" I asked, standing. "The doctor would like to see you know." She told me. She pointed me to his office and I thanked her.

I knocked. "Come in!" came the muffled response. I entered to see a middle-aged man sitting at a desk, reviewing some papers. " Mister Brewer?' He asked. "Take a seat." I sat down. 'A-actually I'm Rudy Gillespie." I told him. "I'm watching Jack until his mother gets home." I told him. "How is Jack?" I asked.

The doctor sighed. "These things are never easy." He murmured, staring at his desk. "What things? Is he okay? What's wrong with him?" I asked anxiously. The doctor sighed, closing his eyes and shaking his head. "Mister Gillespie, Jackson was sexually assaulted." The doctor looked me in the eyes. I stared at him, my eyes wide, my heart skipped a beat. Jack? Raped? How...why..? It didn't make sense, Jack was strong enough to protect himself. How... "Mister Gillespie?" The doctor asked. I stared at the floor, slumping in the chair. It didn't make sense...

"Mister Gillespie?" I looked up. "Huh?" I asked. 'Would you like to go see him now?" The doctor looked at me with years of experience and practiced patience. "Oh, yeah, sure." I stood up. The doctor lead me to the room Jack was in, 345. He gestured for me to enter. I did, quietly. Jack was laying on the bed, his head turned to the wall. He had an IV hooked up to him, and bandages over his face and arms.

"Jack?" I asked quietly, standing by the bed. His head turned further away. "How are you feeling buddy?" I asked, sitting at the edge of his bed. I wrung my hands. "Jack?" I leaned back, trying to see his face. I saw his eyes snap shut. I sighed. "I know... this is hard for you, and I admit, I have know idea _how _hard it is..." I saw a tear slide down his cheek. It was an awful thing to see, given how strong emotionally Jack was. I swallowed, looking down.

"Jack? I need you to tell me you're alright." I told him, looking back up at him. His eyes were open again, and he was staring at the wall. I swallowed again, staring down at my hands. "Everything's going to be fine, Jack."

**POV: Jerry Martinez (one hour and twenty minutes later)**

**Time: 9:00am ; nine hours and forty minutes since the start of the incident**

**Location: Seaford High**

"Yo, has anyone seen Jack? He wasn't at the buss stop this morning." I looked at Kim, Eddie and Milton. We only had a few minutes before our next class began. "No, my mom was going to pick him up today, we were going to car-pull, but he wasn't at his house. We checked Rudy's place too, but nobody was home." Kim answered. She looked at her watch. 'I'm going to be late for class guys, text me if any of you see him!" She waved and ran off.

Eddie turned back to me. "It's not like Jack to skip school." He said. "I gotta go too, guys." Milton interrupted. "If anyone sees him, Text me!" He called, chasing after Kim. "Which reminds me, I can't find my phone." I said thinking. "Me either." Eddie agreed.

Milton ran back up. "Oh, guys, I forgot, I can't find my cellphone. I borrowed my moms, here's it's number." He handed us a piece of paper. I stared down at it, and looked back at Eddie. He blinked. "I cant find _my _phone, _you_ can't find yours, a_nd _Milton can't find his? What is this, national 'lose-your-cellphone-day?'" Eddie tried to make it a joke, but I didn't think it was funny. 'Yo, somethings up, I'm gonna find out what it is."

**POV: Jack Brewer (two hours later)**

**Time: 11:00am eleven hours and forty minutes since the start of the incident**

I stared at the wall. I hadn't moved since Rudy left an hour and a half ago. He'd stayed with me for a good two hours, and I hadn't moved at all while he was there. After giving up trying to talk to me, I had watched him from the corner of my eye as he sat, staring at me, his face contemplative. I appreciated him trying to talk to me about it, but it was just something I didn't want to talk about.

I was only 14, I was too young to lose my virginity. I squeezed my eyes shut, not wanting to think about it. And yet, I still was. What else was there to think about? I was alone with my thoughts which centered around the reason I was in this room now.

I heard the door creak. I snapped my eyes shut, pretending to be asleep. I opened one eye a crack and stared at the person out of the corner of it. It was just the nurse, checking on me. I closed my eye fully when she came closer to look at me. To my surprise, she slapped a hand over my eyes and took my head and jerked it to the other side. I had a kink in my neck from not moving for so long. 'ow..mnm." My whimper of pain was muffled by lips on my own. My eyes were wide open now, staring at the palm of an unknown hand. I felt another hand run under the sheet to a place it _should not_ go. I struggled, but I was stiff and still weak.

The girl let go and spun around before I could see her face. She closed the door behind her. I sat up, panting. The rapist was working here! Pretending to be a candy-striper to get close to me! I gasped and pulled the sheet up tighter around myself. I saw something. It was a note. I picked it up and strained to read it in the dim light.

In sprawled, uneven uppercase letters, it wrote:

_DON'T TELL OR ELSE!_

**(A/N: I hope you like it! Please let me know what you think... this is my first story soo... yeah)**


	3. The betrayal

**Chapter 3: The betrayal**

**POV: Rudy Gillespie (five hours later)**

**Time: 4:00pm ; sixteen hours and forty minutes since the start of the incident**

**Location: Seaford strip mall; Wasabi Warriors dojo**

I sighed, going through the papers in my office. I hadn't gotten anything done all day. My mind was too occupied with other things. I dropped the papers and ran my hands through my hair.

There was a light tap on my door. 'Come in!" I called absent-mindedly. The door opened. "Hey guys.' I gave them a half-hearted smile. Jerry, Milton and Eddie stood in the doorway. "Come on in." I told them. They all came in and stood before me. 'What's up?" I asked. They looked at each other.

Finally, Milton stepped forward. "Rudy? We want to know where jack is." He asked. I sighed and put my hand over my face for a moment, thinking. For Jack's privacy, I wouldn't tell them he'd been raped. I'd just tell them he'd been attacked and hurt badly and was in the hospital. I chose my words carefully.

I looked up at their concerned faces. "…Jack…" I hesitated. "Had an accident." I told them. They interrupted me before I could continue. "Is he okay?" "What happened to him?" 'Where is he?" I held up my hands to stop the barrage of questions. "He's hurt more emotionally than physically, though he is injured. He was attacked…." I stopped, shaking my head. "…and he's at the Seaford hospital." I told them.

"Can we go visit him?" Jerry was the first to ask. "Who attacked him?" Kim asked. I had just noticed her. "Yes, you may visit him, but… I wouldn't stay too long." I turned to Kim. "Not sure, Kim." I replied. "He doesn't know?" Eddie asked.

I scratched the back of my neck. "I don't think he does." I replied truthfully. "I'm going to go visit him." Jerry stated, anyone coming with?" He asked, backing out of the room. "ME!" They all cried at once. They turned to me. I shook my head slowly, thinking. "I don't think… that's a good idea." I started, re-thinking what I had told them only a few seconds ago.

They all stopped, staring at me. 'Why?" Kim blurted out. I shook my head, chewing on my bottom lip; still thinking. "I... just don't think he's well enough for visitors…" I told them. They all stared at each other, worried looks on their faces.

I raised my hands. "Now guys, don't go thinking he's injured _that _badly, but…" I hesitated again. "...i-it's just, his mental condition, he's emotionally unstable at the moment. I know you guys wouldn't do anything stupid, I just don't think…" I shook my head.

"Rudy, we're his best friends, if he's emotionally unstable, we're the best medicine for him." Kim pointed out. I thought for a moment. "Alright." I finally consented. "But just Jerry and Kim, sorry Milton, Eddie, I just don't think he's ready to see all of you at once yet." I told them. Milton and Eddie looked downcast, but submissive.

**POV: Jerry Martinez (twenty minutes later)**

**Time: 4:35 ; seventeen hours and fifteen minutes since the start of the incident**

**Location: Seaford hospital; room 345**

I stared at my best friend. He looked terrible. He was staring at the wall, bandages all over him. I shared a glance with Kim, who stood beside me. Rudy had drove us here, but decided not to visit Jack again today.

"Jack? Hey man, how ya feelin'?" I ask, sitting on the edge of his bed. He didn't move. His head didn't turn, he didn't look at me. He just continued staring at the wall. I swallowed hard. I glanced down. He had a piece of paper in his hand. I cocked my head, trying to read it. It said… 'don't tell or…' I couldn't see the rest, it was too scrunched in his hand. _Don't tell or… else? _I thought. Who could possibly have given him that? One of the doctors? Rudy? One of the nurses?

I made a face. "Yo, I know you're awake, bro. Hey man, you okay?" I asked, putting my hand on his knee and shaking him. He flinched at my touch, pulling his knees up to his chest and turning even further away from us.

"Jack?" It was Kim's soft voice. She walked closer. "Are you okay?" She asked. He didn't reply, predictably. His face twitched visibly at her voice. "Jack?" She asked again, not noticing it. He flinched again, squeezing his eyes shut. I stared at him, then up at Kim. "What?" She asked. I saw jack flinch again. "Nothing, can I talk to you outside for a minute?" I asked.

"Why?" He flinched again. "It doesn't matter." I grabbed her arm and dragged her out. "Jerry…" She protested. He flinched again. I closed the door. "Dude, you didn't see him flinching every time you spoke?" I asked, putting my hands on her arms, they were folded.

She raised her eyebrows. "No…?" She looked at me funny. I made a face. "Every time you said something, he cringed." I told her. She made a face, staring at the floor. She looked up at me. "I don't know what that means." She told me. I let go of her and crossed my arms. I sighed.

"Jerry, I got to go, say goodbye to Jack for me?" She asked. "Where you going?" I asked. "The dojo." She told me. "Okay." I personally wouldn't be able to do any training today. I was too worried about Jack.

I pushed the door back open. Jack hadn't moved. I went around the other side of the bed. I saw his eyes dart behind me, searching for Kim. "Hey, are you okay?" I asked, resting my hand on his shoulder. He looked up at me. I nearly recoiled at the look in his eyes. What was that? Pain… anger… fear? No, it was more like all three, mixed with a decent helping of angst.

I bit my lip. "Yo, Jack. What's wrong?" I asked, kneeling down to look up at him. He stared at me, for a long time, he just stared. I could see him thinking. He finally blinked, looking down. He rolled over, turning his back to me.

I sighed. That was that. Jack didn't want me to help. So I wouldn't try anymore. I stood up and walked out.

**POV: Jack Brewer (right after Jerry left)**

**Time: 5:00pm ; seventeen hours and forty minutes since the incident **

I'd turned my back on Jerry. Turned my back on his help. I sighed. Now that I was alone, I let my tears fall. I had been holding them back all day. Once I allowed them to fall, I couldn't get them to stop. Not for all that was left of my life, I couldn't get them to stop. I cried myself to sleep.

I had been checked on by actual nurses several times. All of them had seen me crying and asked me what was wrong. I kept turning my back to them until they left.

I glanced up at the clock. It was 11:30pm. A horrifying memory flashed before my eyes. I cried out, trying to make it stop. I covered my face, bawling now. My body racked with my sobs. I sucked in a breath, trying to make myself stop. I was stronger than this After several hours, I finally was able to stop. My cheeks burned and I had such a headache…. I blinked, not bothering to wipe the tears.

I glanced at the clock again. It was 10:30am? I had stayed awake crying _that _long? I nearly jumped when the door opened. "Hey Jack." It was Rudy. I blocked his voice out, fully allowing myself to hide inside a mental shell.

**POV: Rudy Gillespie (same time)**

"Hey Jack." I said to him. He was facing the wall again, unmoving. I bit my lip, as I had been doing so much lately. "Jack?" I asked. He didn't move. I walked over to the other side of the bed and crouched down so that I could look him in the eyes, which were fully open. Rather than him turning away, or closing his eyes, He just stared through me. I blinked. "Jack?" He didn't respond. I looked at the heart monitor. It was beating steadily. He was fine.

His eyes were red and his cheeks were stained with tears streaks. I looked down at the poor boy. First he was raped, now his mother… I shook my head, my mind swirling back to about an hour ago.

The phone in my office was ringing. "Wasabi Warrior's dojo, this is sensei Rudy Gillespie speaking." I had answered. "Mister Gillespie, you are the godfather of Jackson Brewer, correct?" The female voice was sharp and uncaring. "..yes.." I had answered, confused. "This is Millicent Gouldspring, from the child protection agency, you are now the legal guardian of Jackson, his mother was killed in a car accident early this morning." The monotone voice had informed me.

The confusion on my face had turned to frozen shock. "Mister Gillespie?" I ignored the voice, staring ahead of me in shock. "Mister Gillespie?" Jack didn't need this in his life, not now! "_Mister _Gillespie, are you there?" The sharp voice cut into my thoughts.

"Uh… yes, miss Gouldspring, what is it?" I asked. "Are you in possession of the child right now?" She asked, I could hear constant tapping of fingers on a computer keypad. "Yes…" I confirmed. "Is he there right now." It sounded more like a statement rather than a question. 'No, that is. Actually, right now he's in the hospital, he… had a little accident yesterday." I told her. 'That's nice." She said in her same, uncaring tone.

"If you do not have the means of keeping the boy, we will be sending an agent over in the morning to collect him and take him to the orphanage." She told me. "NO! I…I'll see what I can do." I told her. "Very well, an agent will be by in the morning with the papers for you to sign." She gave me all of the contact information needed and hung up. I set down the phone, then put my head in my hands. How was I going to tell Jack?

Which leads to now. I had decided to go see how he was doing, and tell him according to his mood. It seemed the news about his mom would have to wait. I crouched there for who knows how long, staring at Jack as he stared through me. I realized he hadn't blinked once since I had gotten there. His eyes were slightly glazed. I closed them. I didn't know if he was asleep or not, but his eyes didn't pop back open. I sighed, looking at the clock. It was 11:00am. I needed to get back to the dojo. "I hope you're feeling better, Jack." I told him quietly, patting his shoulder.

I glanced at him once more as I stood in the door, before walking out.

**POV: Still Rudy Gillespie (twenty minutes later)**

**Time: 11:20am ; thirty-four hours and forty-five minutes since the start of the incident**

I sighed and slammed the papers down. It was no use. No matter how I did the numbers, no matter how much I cut certain budgets, I just couldn't make a way to squeeze enough money in for Jack. I barely had enough money to keep my rundown old house, it would be an unacceptable place for a child to stay, and my salary was barely enough for all the bills I currently had. It just, couldn't be done.

Part of me wanted to try anyway. But that would be unfair to Jack. I didn't have enough money to feed him, clothe him, nothing. A thought struck me, I was going to be even more washed out with all the medical bills from him being at the hospital! There was no way after all that I would be able to take him in.

I put my arms down on the desk and laid my head in them. I stayed like that for a long time. Finally, I picked up the phone and dialed the number I'd been given. "Hello?" A more cheerful voice answered. "yes, hi, this is Rudy Gillespie, I would like to speak with Millicent Gouldspring please?" I asked. There was a pause. "Hold on." I waited.

After a few moments, another line picked up. I recognized Millicent's uncaring attitude right away. "Hi, Millicent, this is Rudy Gillespie, we spoke on the phone this morning?" I told her. "Yes, I remember, what is it?" She asked. "Well, I did the numbers. I can't afford to keep Jack here with me." I told her quietly. There was another pause. 'Alright, I will inform the agents to come by and pick him up in the morning.' She told me.

"Uh, actually, he's still in the hospital, can it wait a few more days?' I asked. There was another, longer pause. "Hold on." She told me.

I tapped my foot impatiently as the minutes literally ticked by. Finally, I heard the phone click and there was another voice at the end of it. "Hello, Rudy Gillespie is it? This is Michael Carson; I am the owner of the Child Protection Agency, My office assistant, Miss Gouldspring informs me that one of the children newly listed in our files without a parent, that would be your charge, Jackson Brewer, is currently in the hospital?" He asked.

"Um, yes, Hi, Mister Carson, yes, this is Rudy Gillespie. Your information is correct, they boy, Jack is currently in the hospital." I told him. I heard clicking and tapping. "According to my files, he was taken to the hospital for… sexual assault?" I nodded, as though he could see me over the phone. "That is correct." I informed him.

"And you wanted to know if our agents could be postponed… for how long?" He asked. "Until he is released from the hospital." I told him. "You do realize, that if he is in the hospital now, we would simply move him to the fully operational child medical center in our orphanage facility?" He asked.

I was silent for a moment. "yes…" I said hesitantly. "Good, then I will send an agent for him in the morning." He informed me. "Don't you think that's kind of soon…?' I asked. " Mister Gillespie, it is our duty to make sure that the child is in the right hands as soon as possible. We are able to take him now, so 'as soon as possible,' is tomorrow." He told me.

I was silent, letting it sink in. 'I see your point." I said quietly. "Good, good. Be at the hospital at nine A.M. sharp, the agents will be there for you to sign the release papers and will move him to our medical facility." He told me. I wrapped up the conversation and hung up the phone.

I stood and walked to the bathroom. I opened the medicine cabinet and got out an aspirin. I had been having _way _too many headaches in the past couple days.

**POV: Kim Crawford (the next morning)**

**Time: 8:30am ; fifty-five hours and fifty-five minutes since the start of the incident**

Something was up. I could tell just by the way Rudy was acting. He had been rushing around all morning, not stopping to lead our class, or even stopping to correct me when I made an obvious mistake while he was looking. The others seemed to have noticed too.

It was Saturday, so we were all there, save for Jack, and we were all trying to focus on practice. After finally having enough of Rudy's strange behavior, we all had a mini-meeting and agreed something was _definitely _wrong. Not that much _hadn't _been the past few days.

We knocked on Rudy's office door. He was just coming out. "Hey guys, sorry, I can't talk right now." He told us. "Rudy, we _need _to talk." I told him. "Something's wrong, is it about Jack?" Milton asked. Rudy stared at us for a moment, then looked at his watch and sighed. "I have a few minutes, but there's too much for me to explain the whole thing." He told us.

We all sat down, listening. "I... got a call, yesterday, from the Child Protection Agency, telling me that…" He voice cracked. "…That Jack is now an orphan." He swallowed. "What?" I cried. "His mother was killed, just the other day in a car accident in Minnesota, where she's been for the past couple weeks." He shook his head sadly.

"I was going to try to keep Jack at my place, but… with the bills from the hospital and all the hectic things that have been going on, I can't afford to keep him." He looked up at us. 'What do you mean?' Jerry asked. "I mean… the agency is coming to get him in about twenty-five minutes." He replied.

I jumped up. "Jack's going to an orphanage?!"

**POV: Jerry Martinez (same time)**

**Time: 8:35am ; fifty-six hours since the start of the incident**

"He can stay at my place!" I cried at almost the same time as Milton told him 'He could stay with us for a while.' Rudy shook his head. "Sorry guys, he's under my legal guardianship and I can't let your parents take on that responsibility."

I shook my head. "At least let me come with you, so I can help him?" I asked, knowing that, even though Jack had plainly refused my help, he would still need my comfort.

"Sorry, Jerry, this is going to be an avalanche of emotion enough as it is, we don't need more climbers causing more rocks to fall." He shook his head. "Sit this one out buddy." He put his hand on my shoulder and headed for the door.

"Yo, he's my best friend Rudy!" I cried, spinning around. Rudy looked back at me and sighed. "Come on." He told me after a moment. I raced after him. "Wait!" That was Kim. "Sorry Kim, just Jerry." We left before she could protest further.

**POV: Jack Brewer (twenty minutes later)**

**Time: 8:55am ; fifty-six hours and twenty minutes since the start of the incident**

I was still in my shell, thinking, brooding, pondering, not letting anything in the outside world take my attention away from my thoughts. I knew that the rapist girl had come in and raped me at least five times during the night, but I hadn't reacted; I didn't care anymore. Nothing could hurt me anymore.

I finally allowed myself to open my eyes to the world again, feeling like I was ready to get over what had happened to me.

I turned my head when the door opened slowly. It was Jerry and Rudy. I gave them a weak smile, trying to let them know how sorry I was for casting them out for the last few days.

"Hey, you feeling better?" Rudy asked. I nodded. I looked at Jerry, who cautiously stared at me, keeping his distance from the bed. "Jerry…" I started, my voice croaked from not being used in days. "I'm sorry." I told him quietly. He blinked, then walked over and rubbed my back comfortingly. "It's all good bro." He said quietly.

I blinked, grateful he wasn't mad. "Jack?" I turned and looked at Rudy. "Yeah?" I croaked. "there's something you need to know." He started quietly. My heart dropped. It couldn't be more bad news… could it?

"You know your mom loves you, right?" He asked, staring at his hands. I frowned, not getting where he was going with this. "Of course, we're all each other has left." I told him. He looked up at me, sorrow and sympathy written all over his face.

"Jack…" His voice shook. "Your mom, she was on her way back home yesterday, and…" He swallowed. "Her car… got hit by a drunk driver." My heart plummeted, I already felt hot tears welling in my eyes. "She's not coming back home, Jack." He told me quietly. I felt fresh tears rolling down my cheeks. _She's not coming home? What do you mean she's not coming home? Of course she's coming home! She has to! She… has to… _My thoughts raced wildly as my head began burning again.

A man in black entered the room, but I barely noticed him, my eyes were so wet. I thought I had just sworn to not let anything ever hurt me again? But this did. Very badly. "There's one more thing, Jack." Rudy said quietly. I looked up at him, struggling to hold back the tears. "you no longer have a parent, and I can't afford to take you in…"

I shook my head fiercely as the man in black came closer, my eyes wide. "No… no! no, no no, no…!" I wailed as a nurse unhooked me from the IV and heart monitor and the man in black grabbed me. I was unable to hold my wails back any longer. "NO! Rudy, no, you can't!" I screamed, kicking as I was carried out.

Jerry and Rudy followed close behind, tears in their eyes. "Noooooooooooo! No… Nooo…" My wails echoed down the halls as I was carried through them. Many nurses and doctors turned to stare, but none of them tried to stop the man. I was carried outside and loaded onto a van and strapped to a bed inside. 'NO! Rudy, please!" I shrieked, reaching my hand out to him as they strapped me down, my tears rolling faster, my head burning more fiercely.

"RUDY-" My last scream, begging him to not do this was cut off by the back doors being slammed shut. "No.." I whimpered, letting my head fall back. The pillow was already soaked with my tears. Rudy had betrayed me.

**(A/N: I must inform you that I'm not the sole author of this story, another writer on this site called AmberJohnston is co-writing this story with me, and I must say she was a tad bit peeved when I didn't mention her in the first two chapters… sorry about that Amber darling! So, don't forget to let her know how much you like the story! REVIEW! **


	4. The yearning for peace

**Chapter 4: The yearning for peace**

**POV: Jack Brewer (an hour later)**

**Time: 10:00am ; fifty-seven hours since the start of the incident**

**Location: Caretakers Hospital for Children; room 784**

I stared blankly up at the ceiling. I was an orphan. Alone. Betrayed. No longer innocent. How had my life gone so suddenly from 'couldn't possibly get any better' to 'no longer worth it?'

I rolled over, shoving the soggy pillow out of the way and resting my head on my hands. Just then, a nurse came in to check on me. She smiled at me. I ignored her. After checking all my vital signs, she smiled at me. "Well, looks like you're free to go." She told me.

_Free to go… if only. _I stared blankly at her. "Oh." Was all I said. She took out the IV, putting cotton over the tiny puncture wound and taping it with that ultra sticky hospital tape that hurts more to rip off your skin than the needle does when stuck into your arm. My arm was indeed sore, but nothing compared to the ache in my heart. She gave me some clean clothes that had been sent from home. _Home, I guess I can't call it that anymore. _I thought dejectedly, putting on my favorite baby blue long-sleeved T-shirt and a pair of my jeans, as well as some of my high-top vans.

The nurse led me to a waiting room, where she had me sit down. And wait.

After a few minutes, a middle-aged man –by my estimate- entered the room. He sat down across from me, setting down his briefcase. "Jack Brewer?" he extended his hand. I stared at him, not moving. He cleared his throat and drew back his hand. "I'm Michael Carson, owner of the Child Protection Agency, as well as the, childcare orphanage you will be going to." He told me. I blinked, not showing any emotion on my face.

He cleared his throat again. "Now, son…" I interrupted him. "I'm not your son." I hissed. He cleared his throat a third time. "Of course not." He scooted his chair closer slightly. "Listen to me, boy. The people at this facility love children, very much. And are highly qualified for raising you." He told me. "Not as highly qualified as my mother was." I glared at him. He cleared his throat, yet, again. If he did that one more time… "Jackson…"

"Don't call me that." I hated being called Jackson. It made me sound I like I was 'Jack's son' and I didn't like being reminded of my father.

"Sorry. Jack, this place is going to be great for you. It has its own private school, church, and all the other activity's a growing boy needs." He told me. "Look, I don't care, okay? Just ship me off to this prison and get it over with." I told him.

He sighed. "Alright, but I think you will find you'll like it more than you think you will." He told me. "Oh, I'm sure." I said sarcastically. He shrugged helplessly. "Okay." He stood up and walked out, stopping at the door. "Someone was sent to gather your things." He told me. I shook my head, not caring. He sighed and walked out. The door clicked behind him.

**POV: Still Jack Brewer (one hour later)**

**Time: 11:30am ; fifty-eight hours and thirty minutes since the start of the incident**

**Location: Carson's Home for Children**

I stared up at the imposing gate to the even larger building behind it. I grabbed the bars, pushing my face between them to get a better look. The yard was huge. It had a playground, where younger children played, watched closely by several nannies. I wasn't going to like this.

"Jackson, if you please." I looked up to see the agent standing over me. I released the bars and stepped back. The agent pressed a button on the gate. I saw the door to a guardhouse inside the fence open. A guard –decked out in a black suit, and sunglasses- stepped out and walked over. "Name?' He asked in a monotone voice, looking at me. "Jackson Brewer." I told him through clenched teeth. The guard looked back at the guardhouse and gave a thumbs-up. The gate hissed and slid open.

I picked up my bag and stepped inside. I was roughly stopped when the guard grabbed me and began patting me down. It reminded me too much of 'The Incident' as I was beginning to think of it as. I flinched away from him. He looked at me for a moment, then took my bag and unzipped it, checking through its contents before thrusting it roughly back at me. I grabbed it to keep it from falling, and stared after the inconsiderate guard as he escorted us across the yard.

The guard opened the front door and shoved me in. The door slammed behind me. Snorting, I remembered something Carson had said to me earlier, '_The people at this facility love children, very much._' Yeah, sure.

I re-zipped my bag and slung it over my shoulder. Now what? I looked around. I was in the middle of a corridor, with what looked like one of those check-in booths at a hotel. I stepped up to it, looking up and down the hall. No one. I leaned over the counter. The chair was empty.

"…hello?" I asked. "HI!" I jumped backward, startled, when a freckled-faced boy had suddenly popped up in front of me.

"You must be new." The kid was short, but not fat. He was around my size. I nodded. "let me see your right hand." He told me. 'Why?" I asked, raising my hand. He took it and looked at it. "Hmm… mm-hmm." I raised an eyebrow at him. He noticed me staring and blushed. 'oh, sorry, I was measuring your hand." He let go of my hand and I let it drop.

"I know I'm going to regret asking this… but, why…?" I shook my head slowly, question written all over my face. The red-head pushed his glasses back on his face. "No reason, come on, I'll take you up to the orientation office." He grabbed my left hand this time and started pulling me. I resisted slightly, not liking how he was holding my hand. "Come on!" He told me, yanking me harder.

I let him lead me. He stopped at an unmarked door that looked exactly like all the others and knocked on it. He was still holding my hand. I lifted my hand, and his along with it and grabbed his wrist, trying to pry his hand off of mine. "Let go man!" I cried. The door suddenly opened. I was shoved inside. "Hey!" I cried. "Enjoy your room-mate!" The red-head called to me through the door.

I pushed on it, but it felt like it was locked. I got down on my belly and looked under the door. He was gone. I sighed and stood back up. Then it dawned on me… 'room-mate?' who? I looked around the room. It seemed to be empty. It wasn't a bad room. It was plain, painted a dull gray. There was no furniture other than a bunk-bed and a small dresser.

I stumbled forward, feeling something pressing against my backside. I spun around. There, stood a boy the same age as me, with short brown hair. He smiled. "Hello gorgeous!" he said. "Excuse me?" I raised my eyebrows, alarmed. He smirked at me and made his eyebrows go up and down.

I had a bad feeling about this…

**POV: Rudy Gillespie (right after Jack was taken)**

**Time: 9:00am**

"Sign this." I was handed a clipboard. I read the details and reluctantly signed my name. The board was taken back and the agent jumped in the van. It took off.

I stared after it. Jerry stared too. "I can't believe this is happening!" He cried. I knew how he felt. I stared as the van slowly disappeared. I sighed. "Come on. Let's get back to the dojo."

**POV: Jack Brewer (half an hour after meeting his room-mate)**

**Time: 12:00pm lunch time ; fifty-nine hours since the start of the incident**

**Location: Cafeteria**

"Dude, give me some space, okay?" I shoved Daniel- as my room-mate was called- back. He continued being very gay, and not caring who saw. He sat too-close to me at the lunch table. "Come on man, give me some space!" I told him a little more forcefully. He ignored me, putting an arm around me. "Bug off, man. Go bother someone else!" I told him, flicking his hand off my shoulder. "You're so cute when you're mad." He told me, hugging me. "Stop!" I told him, shoving him away.

The red-headed kid slid next to me on my other side. "Now you know why I wanted to trade." He leaned over to me and whispered. I glared at him, holding Daniel back. "Dude, not cool!" I cried. The red-head laughed.

Daniel reached a hand under the table and squeezed something sensitive. That was the _last _straw! I slugged him. He went flying back-wards onto the floor. I jumped up. "Don't mess with me man!" I yelled at him, pointing my finger down at him, before flipping my tray of hot soup onto him and storming out.

I ignored his shrieks of pain as the too-hot-to-eat soup burned his skin. Served him right.

I found a janitors closet and locked myself in it. After sitting in the corner, my legs drawn to my chest, for who knows how long, I decided I wanted to get out of this mess. I didn't want to live here for the rest for my life.

I thought for a moment. Did I even want to live at a_ll _anymore? _It's not like I have anything to live for. _I rested my chin on my arms that were crossed over my knees. I stared at the floor for a while, not really seeing anything, not really thinking anything. Just listening. I listened to the sound of silence that echoed softly through the room. _I wish everywhere were as peaceful as this. _I thought.

I suddenly had an idea, not one that would ever have crossed my mind a week ago. Wasn't… death… peaceful? I raised my head. After all, the words on gravestones were, 'rest in peace'….

I jumped up; looking around the janitor's closet for anything that I could use that would get it over with quickly. There were a lot of chemicals. After reading the labels on a few of them, it would only take one good gulp for some of them to work. But that probably would be painful. I put the one I was looking at back and kept looking around the room.

Nothing that would end it quickly. I sighed. Better than nothing. All I'd have to do is put up with a little discomfort for a few minutes then it would all be over. I took one that I'd read the label for and unscrewed the lid. I heard footsteps down the hall. _Hurry it up, Jack. _I told myself.

Did I really want to do this? I heard a hand on the door handle. _Yes. _I told myself. The door opened. I tipped the bottle back and ingested the fluid.

"Hey! No, don't drink that!" The bottle was taken from me. I stumbled backwards, already light-headed. "Are you crazy? What are you doing?" I looked up to see a nanny. "Get up." She made me stand and pushed me out of the room. I was dragged to the medical bay in the building.

"What's wrong with him?" The nurse asked. "He drank some of this." The nanny thrust the bottle into the nurse's hands. The nurse's eyes grew wide. She brought me back into a back room. I was feeling really bad by now. My stomach was rolling around violently and I was sweating. My hands shook and I felt my skin crawl. She injected me with something. After a few agonizing moments, I felt my stomach recoil. I vomited into a bucket conveniently thrust under my face.

She made me lay down. The nanny was standing nervously over the bed, wringing her hands. "Is he going to be okay?" She asked. The nurse sighed. "Yes, but we need to flush his system of that chemical, it's toxic. How did he get this?" She asked. "He was in the janitor's closet." The nanny replied. I saw the nurse visibly stiffen. "The janitor's closet is supposed to be locked at _all _times!" She cried.

She stuck the vein in the front of my elbow with a needle. I winced. I had just gotten one of those things out of me earlier today. She hooked me up to an IV thing. "Okay, this will eradicate any of the toxins still in his body." She sighed. She leaned over me and I stared at her, still cringing from the pain that was gradually leaving my stomach.

"Hun, why did you drink that? You should know better than that." She knitted her brow. I nodded. "I know." I told her, closing my eyes, but not before I saw the look of horror cross her face. "You were _trying _to kill your_-" _I pulled back into my mental shell. I had gradually been getting better at doing that. If I didn't want to hear what she was saying, I wouldn't, and nothing she did would make me. I blocked out everything in the waking world, allowing nothing to distract my thoughts.

**POV: Still Jack Brewer (an hour after the nurse's office)**

**Time: 1:30pm ; sixty hours and thirty minutes since the start of the incident ; one hour since the first attempt**

**Location: Dormitory; Room 2,904**

I lay on my bed tiredly. I had been given a new room-mate, thank God. But it didn't matter. I had failed at my first attempt to end everything, but I would keep trying. It would be harder now, because they were keeping a close eye on me.

I decided I didn't like the idea of poisoning myself, it took too long and hurt too much. My thoughts were pulled away from my demise when the door opened, and my new room-mate walked in. He had shaggy black hair and dark eyes and well-tanned skin. He closed the door behind him and stared at me. He reminded me of Jerry. I stared at him, yes, he did look Latino.

He stared back at me. I blinked, then rolled over, turning my back to him. The silence that followed was equal to the silence in the janitor's closet. I stared at the wall, sulking. I heard the boy drop his bag on the floor. I saw his legs on the ladder, then heard him plop down on the top bunk.

I suddenly remembered something. I always kept a pocketknife in my jeans! I kept one in each pair. …Don't ask, I just had a lot of pocketknives. I fished in my pocket and found it. I opened it and stared at it for a while. I ran my finger over the blade. Freshly sharpened. I looked at my wrist. _So long, cruel world._ I realized my hand was shaking when I raised the knife to my right wrist.

_Do I really want to do this? _I asked myself the same question I had asked in the janitor's closet. I gave the same answer. _Yes. _I timidly pressed the knife at the side of my wrist and swiped across.

**POV: Rudy Gillespie **

**Time: 2:00pm ; sixty-one hours since the start of the incident ; one hour and thirty minutes since the first attempt**

**Location: Wasabi Warrior's dojo; Rudy's office**

The phone was ringing. "Wasabi Warrior's dojo, sensei Rudy Gillespie speaking." I answered, my voice quiet.

"Hello, mister Gillespie, was Jackson Brewer formerly in your care?" The female voice asked. My brow wrinkled. "..yes, why?" I asked. "You need to come to the Carson's Home for Children, it's about your ward, Jackson?" She told me. "Yes, what about him?" I asked. "I don't have any information on file, it just says for me to call you and let you know your presence is requested." She told me.

I blinked. "Okay.. when do they want me?' I asked. "As soon as possible, it says it's urgent." She stated. My heart dropped. I hoped Jack was okay. "I'll be right over." I told her. I hung up, standing. It didn't sound right. A professional establishment like that would usually schedule me for nine-in the-morning, not tell me to come 'as soon as possible' It just wasn't something professional places like that would normally do.

I grabbed my keys and walked out. "Hey Rudy, what's wrong?" Milton asked. 'it's Jack, the orphanage is telling me to come for some sort of urgent meeting." I told them. Eddie and Jerry both said, 'Take me with you!' at the same time Kim and Milton said 'I want to come!' I stared at them. They were great kids. 'Alright, but don't be disappointed if you don't get to see him." I warned. They all smiled and put on their shoes.

We all piled into my van. "Hold on Jack." I murmured.

**(twenty minutes later, still Rudy Gillespie)**

**Time: 2:20 ; sixty-one hours and twenty minutes since the start of the incident ; one hour and fifty minutes since the first attempt**

**Location: Carson's Home for Children; waiting room**

I sat, my leg jumping up and down impatiently. Finally, the door to the office opened. "Rudy Gillespie?" She asked. I jumped up. "Come with me." I followed her, my heart pounding. I could tell the kids wanted to come, but I was too concerned about Jack to notice that Jerry had followed me.

**POV: Jerry Martinez (Same as Rudy)**

I had followed Rudy. Kim had demanded to come along, but I told her that if Jack were hurt, he would be embarrassed if she saw him. That seemed to have worked, because she wasn't still tagging along. Rudy didn't even notice that I was right behind him. The lady had noticed me, but hadn't said anything, so apparently I was fine to be with them.

She opened a door that said 'Emergency room' on it._ lo que Jack ha hecho a sí mismo? _I thought despairingly. I followed Rudy in to see Jack strapped down to a medical bed. His right wrist was bandaged thoroughly and he was connected to an IV that was pumping… blood? Into him.

I stared. "What happened?" Rudy asked quietly. Jack was asleep. The lady sighed. "This isn't the first time he's been in here today. He was brought in first by one of our nannies when she caught him drinking a chemical cleaning solution in the janitor's closet. After we treated him for that, we let him go back to his room to rest. His room-mate." She gestured over to another Latino boy standing over in a corner, staring at Jack. "Found him on his bed, bleeding to death from a cut on his wrist."

She walked over to a tray and picked up the knife. "This was in his hand; it even has his name on it." She showed us; then put it down. "Mister Gillespie, do you know why Jack is having these suicidal tendencies?"

**POV: Rudy Gillespie (same time)**

I did know why he was upset, but I didn't think he, Jack, being the person that he was, would ever go so far as to try and kill himself.

I shook my head. "He's never done anything like this before." I told her. She sighed. The owner, Mister Carson wants you to talk to him, since you are his father figure, correct?" She asked. I shrugged. "I've always hoped Jack thought of me as that." She nodded and gently pushed me forward.

"Jack?" I gently shook his shoulder. His eyes opened slowly. "Rudy!" His eyes widened, then narrowed. "What are you doing here?" He tried to hide his hand under the sheets. I stared at him. "Jack, I already know." I told him. He sighed and stared down.

"Why Jack?" I asked. He stared at his hands. He shook his head, shrugging almost non-visibly. I took his hand in my own, covering it with my other. "Jack, look at me." I told him. He looked up. "I know what you were thinking, that you could make it all go away by just ending it. But that's not how it works, Jack. Do you know how much pain you would have cause us by ending your own? Don't you think that's kind of selfish?" I asked him.

He looked back down. "Rudy, you _don't _know what I'm going through." He told me. I sighed. He was right, I had never had to deal with the problems he was facing. "No, you're right, I don't know. But what I do know is you're not helping yourself or anyone by trying to kill yourself." I told him, leaning down. I still had his hand in mine I patted it. "Jack, you're like a son to me. I can't lose you." I said quietly.

He looked up at me. "I'm sorry Rudy, I just… can't." He slipped his hand out of mine and rolled over, shunning me the way he had at the hospital. "Jack…" I started. "Go away Rudy, I hate you." He told me. I closed my eyes. "I hope you feel better, Jack." I told him quietly. If he heard me, he made no attempt to acknowledge me. I walked around the bed. I glanced back at him before walking out the door. I'd done my best.

**POV: Jack Brewer (Right after Rudy left)**

I stared blankly at the floor. Rudy didn't really care. He didn't. He c_ouldn't. _He'd given me up to this awful place. Let me suffer on my own. How dare he think I was being selfish to just want the pain to go away! How dare he think anyone would be hurt by my absence- no one would. Not even him. _Especially _not him. How _d__are _he try to say I'm like a son to him after all he's done to me.

I blinked as tears rolled down my cheeks. I couldn't remember the last time I'd cried so many times within so short of a time. I couldn't even remember the last time I'd cried at all before all this began. _Real men don't cry. _I told myself, wiping my face. But more tears kept coming. _I guess I'm not a real man then. _I closed my eyes.

My wrist had started to throb again. My stomach was still a little queasy from the chemicals, and not to mention I hadn't eaten since… when w_as _the last time I'd eaten? I'd refused the hospital food, nasty stuff. Plus, I'd been too preoccupied with my thoughts. I hadn't eaten at the medical center, I hadn't eaten my soup, I'd dumped that on Daniel. I hadn't eaten in almost three days! I squeezed my eyes shut, then popped them open.

That was it! I'd just refuse to eat. Sure, that would take a while longer than I'd like, and it would be very painful… but It was the only way I could think of. Just so they wouldn't get on my case about it, I would go to the cafeteria every day, pretend to eat, and there you go. I sighed. I wish I could have come up with an easier way…

**(A/N: okay, in this part of the story, it explains how much drama is in Jack's life now, and how much he doesn't want to be a part of it. It also shows how he thinks Rudy's turned completely against him, even though Rudy is still trying to help him. I hope you like it! Please REVIEW! **


	5. The desperate hours

**Chapter 5: The desperate hours**

**POV: Jack Brewer (2 days later)**

**Time: 12:00pm lunch ; 109 hours and twenty minutes since 'The Incident' ; forty-nine hours and fifty minutes since the first attempt ; five days since last eaten**

**Location: Carson's Home for Children; cafeteria**

I was so weak from hunger. It took all my will-power to not eat the food I took from the line. I would hide it under the table and dispose of it later.

I stared at my plate, pretending to eat, while instead, I was slowly hiding it under the table. I kept glancing around nervously, knowing that if I was caught, I would be taken to the medical center-again- and they would stuff a tube down my throat.

"Hey, Jack, how do you like the mystery soup?" I looked up just in time for Daniel to tip a bowl over my head, dumping its contents onto my face. I screamed and jumped back, my flesh burning. I heard laughter as I desperately wiped at my face. "Now you know how it feels, hot stuff."

I wiped the soup out of my eyes to see Daniel and his posse walking away. "Jack! Are you okay man?" I had grown to be friends with Laban, my Latino room-mate. I cringed and wiped at my face. My entire face was burning fiercely, and I felt the hot soup dripping down the front of my shirt, scorching my chest and stomach. I covered my face and moaned. "Oh, man, you need to get to the nurse!" Laban cried. He helped me up and walked me to the nurs'es office.

"Now what?" The nurse cried. "He didn't try to kill himself, if that's what you're thinking." I was grateful to Laban. "What happened?" The nurse asked, making me sit. I laid back, covering my face and moaning. "Move your hands." The nurse pried my hands off my face and started dabbing at it with something cool and soothing. I continued moaning quietly for a few minutes, not stopping until my entire face and some of my neck and shoulders was covered in the stuff.

"What is that?" I heard Laban ask. "Aloe-vera gel."She replied. I lay perfectly still, my face was stiff and starting to tingle. The nurse sighed. "You have… first degree burns on your face, neck, shoulders and chest… and a little on your stomach" She told me. I grunted, not feeling like replying. My flesh still tingled, and crawled, and it was very unpleasant. "How did this happen?" The nurse asked. Laban began explaining it to her.

I lay very quietly, brooding in my misery. My face hurt, my neck and shoulders hurt, my chest hurt, my stomach hurt in two ways, it had burns on the outside, and had absolutely nothing on the inside. I moaned again, expressing the story of my life through one single action. A moan. To moan was to be in pain. If a moan was all I had to represent my life, then there you go. That's all it was.

"You okay Jack?" I opened my eyes stiffly and looked up at Laban, who was staring down at me in concern. "I'm fine." I groaned. He didn't look like he bought it, but he left it at that. The nurse –predictably- took a blood sample. "Jack, you're very dehydrated, here, drink some water." She made me sit up and tipped a drink to my starched lips. I sealed my lips, not allowing the water to enter my mouth. "Jack!" The nurse cried when the water spilled all over me.

I stood up. She sighed. "Drink some water! And here, apply this every morning and before you go to bed." She pressed a little container of the aloe-vera gel into my hands. I looked at her stiffly, unable to move my head because my skin was so stiff. I gave her a tongue-in-cheek grin, then rolled my eyes when I turned my back to her.

"Come on man, let's go to our room." Laban took my arm over his shoulder and helped me out of the nurse's office, down the hall, and into our room. "Here, sit down." He helped me down. "Thanks man." I said letting out a breath and making a face screwed up in pain.

There was a knock on the door. "Choir practice is in an hour, do _not _be late." The head was in and out all most before the sentence could be finished. I groaned again, louder this time. "I can go back to the nurse's and get her to fill out an 'out-sick-slip'." Laban offered. I nodded. "Thank Laban." I curled up on my bed, not bothering to undress or even curl _under _the covers.

Laban hesitated, looking like he didn't want to leave me alone. "I'll be fine." I told him. He nodded, still hesitating, then walked out.

I sighed, hunger gnawing at me painfully. I hadn't eaten in five days. I couldn't keep this up much longer. The temptation to eat every time food was in my presence was becoming increasingly unbearable. Why did it have to be so painful? All I wanted to do was _end _my pain, and yet, every time I tried, it seemed to hurt me even more.

I looked around the room. There had to be s_omething _here I could use… I stood up, conscious of how numb my body was, I was on so many painkillers.

Painkillers! Medicine. I had heard that too much of any medicine, no matter how good, could be harmful. I went into the bathroom and opened the medicine cabinet. I looked over everything inside. I made a face. There was no medicine. Typical.

Back at home, mom always kept aspirin and stuff in the medicine cabinet. I flinched. _Mom… Why did you have to leave me? Why couldn't you be here to help me through this…? _I thought, closing the cabinet door.

An idea popped into my head. I left the room, heading for the nurse's office again. I bumped into Laban in the hall. "Oh, Jack. Here, the nurse is giving you permission to skip choir." He told me, handing me a piece of paper. "Thanks." I took it. "Where you going?" He asked. "The nurse's." I replied, slipping around him. He followed me. "Why?" I rolled my eyes. "I want to get some aspirin, I'm in pain." I told him quite truthfully, the meaning of that sentence could be interpreted in two ways; my life was in pain, and all I needed to end it was a few…dozen… pills. "You want me to come with you?" He asked. "No, I'm fine. You have no excuse for skipping choir; they'll be all over your case about it if you miss it." I told him. "Okay." To my relief, he turned and headed for the sanctuary.

I sighed with relief; then continued to the nurse's. I knocked. "Come in." I heard the nurse's reply. Funny, I'd been going there nonstop about every day, and I still didn't know her name.

I walked in. "Jack! What's wrong?" She asked me, smiling slightly, unsure what to think. "Um, nurse…" I started. "Anne." She told me. "Nurse Anne, can I have some aspirin?" I asked. "Aloe-vera not working?" She asked, standing. I nodded, paying careful attention to where the unsuspecting nurse got the medicine from.

She bent down and opened a drawer in her desk and grabbed a pill bottle. I watched her unscrew the lid and take out a pill. "Here you go, take it with some water." She told me. I took it and thanked her, then walked out. I stopped outside the door and watched her from the side window beside the door.

After waiting about ten minutes, I watched her get up from her desk and head for the bathroom. I was inside in an instant. I pulled open the drawer and grabbed the pill bottle, then ran out like mad. I didn't stop till I was back in my room, panting with my back against the door.

I sighed and straitened up. I looked down at the bottle in my hand. I was shaking, the way I had been my first two attempts. I went into the bathroom and locked the door. Swallowing hard, I unscrewed the lid agonizingly slow and set it on the counter. I dumped a handful of pills into my pale and stared at them. _Did I really want to do this? _The familiar question crossed my mind once again. _Of course! _I answered, trying to convince myself as much as I was the voice inside my head.

I bit my lip and bounced the pills lightly in my palm. I was about to toss them into my mouth when a thought crossed my mind. _What about my friends? _I mentally kicked myself. _What about them? This isn't about them! _I scolded myself. _Oh but it is, Jack, remember what Rudy said! _The voice argued back. _I don't care what Rudy said, I hate Rudy for what he did to me. _With that, I tipped my head back and dumped the handful into my mouth.

I choked, spitting a few out. I ran the faucet and drank some water, swallowing some and gagging on others. Finally I got them all down. I slid to the floor, still clutching a handful of soggy pills in one hand, and the empty bottle in the other. _This is it. _I told myself, waiting for death to come.

**POV: Laban Vheni (five minutes after Jack took the pills)**

**Time: 2:00pm ; 111 hours and twenty minutes sinse 'The Incident' ; fifty-one hours and fifty minutes since the fist attempt ; five days since last eaten**

**Location: Jack and Laban's room; room 2,904**

"Hey Jack, my throats kinda sore today, so the instructor told me I could- Jack?" I had walked into the room and I didn't see him. Surely he was back from the nurse's by now? I walked over to the closed bathroom door and knocked. 'Hey man, you in there?" There was no reply. I tried the knob, it was locked. "No, not again." I murmured, slamming against the door, trying to get it to open. "Jack! Don't do anything stupid, man!" I told him, slamming on the door with my shoulder again.

I finally backed away and ran at it. It flew open, slamming against the wall. I ran in to see Jack slumped on the floor, a pill bottle in his hand and pills scattered all over the floor. 'No! Jack!" I ran to him and checked his pulse. Her was still alive, but barely. I picked him up and threw him over my shoulders, locking his arm under mine, and wrapping my other arm around his leg to keep him in place.

I ran to the nurse's office, which was a difficult task what with Jack's weight on my shoulders, for some reason, he weighed practically nothing. "Nurse Anne!" I cried, barging into the office. "Oh my! What happened?" She was up in an instant. I put Jack down on the bed. "He ate a bunch of these." I handed her the pill bottle. Her eyes widened in realization. "Okay." She got to work on him, giving him something that made him throw up.

She did other things, but I wasn't focused on her anymore. I was staring at Jack. He was incredibly pale. I shook my head. Why did someone like him have to have such a terrible life? He was an amazing person.

I sighed and walked out, leaving the nurse to help Jack, wondering why life was always so unfair to those who did not deserve it to be.

**(A/N: sorry it's so short guys! please review!**


	6. The breaking point

**Chapter 6: The breaking point**

**POV: Jerry Martinez (a week after Jack ate the pills)**

**Time: 4:00pm ; 281 hours and twenty minutes since the start of the incident ; 221 hours and fifty minutes since first attempt ; approximately thirteen days since last eaten**

**Location: Wasabi Warrior's dojo**

"Good, now, try with a back-kick." Rudy instructed. Kim tried and executed the move almost perfectly. "That was great Kim! Oh, Jerry! The phone in my office is ringing, can you get it?" I looked over at Rudy; I had warming up with some air-punches.

"Sure, Rudy." I straitened up and walked over to the office, hearing the sounds of feet and fists against leather behind me.

"Wasabi Warrior's dojo?" I picked up the phone, restraining myself from adding, 'sensei Jerry speaking'

"Hello, this is Charlotte Kites, I'm from the Child Protection Agency, I'm calling for Rudy, Gillespie?" the voice asked. "Oh, hold on." I put my hand over the speaker and glanced out the door. Rudy was gone. "Yo, Kim, where'd Rudy go?" I asked. She turned to me from a dummy she'd been relentlessly beating up. "He had to go out." Was all she said as she walked over.

"Who is it?" She asked, putting her hands on her hips. By now, Milton and Eddie were interested. "It's someone from the child protection thingy." I told them. They all looked at each other. "What'd they say?" They all asked at once. I put up my pointer finger, telling them to wait.

"Uhh, miss Kites? Yeah… Rudy's out, but uh, I'm his assistant manager, Jerry Martinez. I can give him a message if you like." I winked at the others, who were silently encouraging me.

"Okay, good. Can you let him know that his former charge, Jackson Brewer, is currently in the emergency room at the Caretaker's Children's Hospital?" She asked. My face fell. "What happened?" I asked, forgetting to try and sound professional.

"Hold on while I bring up the medical records." There was a pause. She cleared her throat. "You still there Mister Martinez?" She asked. "Yeah." I told her. "Well, it says here that he was taken to the hospital after the doctors at the orphanage he's staying at were unable to wake him. Apparently he's attempted suicide previously, and it seems he has almost succeeded this time. It says he was found unconscious after ingesting a little less than half a bottle of aspirin." She told me.

I stared blankly ahead of me for a moment. "…Is, he okay?" I finally asked. "Well, I can't really find any more details about it. It just says they suspect he's… hold on, I just got an update." There was another, longer pause. I switched the phone to my other ear. The others were staring at me impatiently. "Jerry!" Kim hissed. "Hold on!" I growled.

"Mister Martinez? Yes, I just got an update from the hospital on his condition. It says he's in a coma." I coughed, nearly dropping the phone. "For how long?" I cried. "…Approximately a week…" She told me. I slammed the phone down. "What?!" The others cried. I stared at them, horror written on my face. I put my hands on my head. "Jack's in a coma!"

**POV: Jack Brewer (thirty minutes later)**

**Time: 4:30pm**

**Location: Caretaker's Children's Hospital; Room 296**

_I was in a peaceful meadow. I smiled and laid back in the lush grass, staring at the sky, counting the clouds, naming the birds that belonged to the soft trills I could hear coming from the thick forest beside me. The gentle lap of a stream on my other side lulled me, and I dozed peacefully for a long time. _

_I turned my head and smiled at my mother, who lay beside me in the grass. She smiled back at me. I took her hand and snuggled close to her. 'I'm never letting you leave me again, mom.' I told her. She smiled at me. 'Jackie, you know you shouldn't be here.' She looked unhappy, even though she was smiling. I frowned. 'But I want to be with you!' I cried. _

_She smiled sadly. 'And I want you here with me! But…' I cut off her words. 'good, I'm staying with you.' I told her firmly. She shrugged. 'Okay, my dear. Whatever you think is best'_

_"Jack?" I ignored the voice, as it brought memories from a place I didn't want to remember. I put my hands behind my head, enjoying the tranquility this place brought. "Jack!" I sat up and looked around. I didn't see anyone other than my mother, who was still beside me. I shrugged and stood, deciding to go for a stroll. I helped my mother up and she walked with me, her hand in mine._

_ I picked some wildflowers as I walked, happily sniffing at them and proudly showing them to my mother, ignoring the fact that Jerry would laugh at me for it if he were here. "Yo, Jack!" I heard his voice. I spun around. He wasn't there. _

_Making a face, I shrugged and kept walking. I stopped and threw the flowers up in the air. The wind picked them up and twirled them around until the petals fell off and dropped on me and my mother in a fragrant and colorful rain._

_I smiled. Now this, this was the life. But something in the back of my head was telling me that this wasn't life at all. 'Of course it is!' I told myself. 'Look at how beautiful it is, look at how… beautiful!' Was all I could describe it as. I stretched out my arms and closed my eyes, tilting my head back and spinning, enjoying the feeling of the gentle drops of rain. There was thunder, but it was calm and soothing. It wasn't loud or frightening. It was majestic. _

_I laughed gleefully and leapt for the pure joy of doing so. I grabbed my mother's hand and started running through the fields, listening to the music of nature."Jack!" I heard that voice again, interrupting my joy. I stopped and looked around, panting, but a smile still planted on my face. _

_The gentle thunder had grown louder, and the rain had gone from a soft drizzle to a torrential downpour. "Ah!" I cried, covering my head and running for shelter, dragging my mother along with me. "Jack! I think it's working!" The voice boomed louder. It contributed to the thunder, tearing at my eardrums and vibrating my soul. _

_I kept running, looking for the forest I had seen not long ago. But I was no longer in the same place. This was dark and cold, and the thunder was relentless, the lightning was scaring me. I slid to a halt, jumping back just in time to avoid being struck. I kept running. It suddenly was harder to run, I seemed to be running in place. I looked back and saw a huge funnel cloud behind me, tearing up the ground, making splinters in the earth. I ran all the faster, but still not getting far. "JACK!" I was forced to let go of my mother's hand and cover my ears, the boom was so loud._

_ I suddenly felt lighter. I looked down to see my feet were no longer touching the ground. I was being sucked into the tornado! I screamed, flailing my arms, reaching out for my mother. "NOO!" I cried, I caught a glimpse of the peaceful meadow, still in the distance, my mother standing in the middle of it. I had to get back there! I flailed more desperately, but it was too late. I was thrown up into the air, tossed like I weighed nothing. My virtual weightlessness made me feel helpless, and I couldn't help but scream._

_"JACK!" The voice cut through me and I felt a sharp stab of pain. "NO! No I don't want to leave! NO! MOM! NO! Come with meeee!" I cried. I screamed again as I was sucked into the middle of the storm._

I screamed, gasping for air as I sat bolt upright. I was in a hospital room. "Jack!" I heard several voices cry in unison. My mind whirled as I tried to breathe. A doctor came over to me. I put my hands on my throat, unable to calm down. I heard a soft voice. "Just calm down, son. Take slow, deep breaths, calm down." The voice wasn't enough. I was still freaking out.

I gave a short cough after every gasp, and I felt my heart pounding. None of the thoughts that jumbled through my head made sense. I wheezed desperately. I heard someone cry, "Get him the oxygen mask!" Something was shoved over my face, covering my nose and mouth. I tried to shove it away, not knowing what it was. Hands grabbed mine and held them tightly to my chest. "Calm down, it's alright, just breathe."

I slowly regained the ability to breathe deeply, but I was still freaked out. My eyes were wide as they darted around the room from face to face, and my heart was still pounding relentlessly against my chest. Finally, I calmed down. The thing was moved away from my face. I sat silently, breathing heavily, my wide eyes still darting around the room, my mind racing. _Where am I? Who am I? Who are all these people? Are they going to hurt me?_

"Jack?" I heard a soft voice. My eyes locked with the eyes of a pretty blonde girl. Her eyes locked with mine. "Jack? Are you alright?" There was that name again, who the heck was Jack? "I-I'm fine…. Who are you people?" I asked; my eyes started darting again. I heard them murmuring. The blonde girl stared at me. She was vaguely familiar. My eyes locked with hers again. "Kim…" I whispered. "You're Kim." I told her. She smiled. "That's right." She told me softly.

I smiled back, but then, I was thrown back onto the bed when my memories began harassing me, coming back in frightening flashes. I covered my face. "No…" I whimpered. "Make it stop!" I moaned.

**POV: Kim Crawford (Same starting time as Jack)**

**Time: 4:30pm**

We had told Rudy about the call, right after running out of the dojo, screaming for him. He had run around the corner, eyes wide. "What's wrong?" He had asked. We told him and he immediately headed for his car. We had all jumped in, not bothering to even ask him if we could come.

Now, we were in the hospital room, staring at Jack as he lay there peacefully, unmoving. It was frightening, but he had a smile on his face. I had missed his smile. He looked so peaceful. I walked over to stand by him. "Jack?" I had asked quietly. His face had twitched, but nothing really happened.

"Jack!" This time it was Eddie. Jack twitched again, his smile disappearing, but soon came back. "Yo, Jack!" I looked over at Jerry. He stared at his best friend, and I swear I saw tears. I was one to be thinking. I wiped my eyes.

One of the nurse's started wiping his forehead with a damp cloth. "Jack!" Milton stared at him. His smile didn't disappear this time. The nurse kept watering his face. He whimpered in his coma, then cried out. "Jack! I think it's working!" I cried happily.

"He recognizes your voices, keep talking." The doctor told us. "Jack!" This time it was Rudy. Jack tossed his head, "NOO!" He cried. "He's waking up!" The nurse cried. "JACK!" Jerry cried. Jack moaned and whimpered, tossing his head all the more. Jack started screaming. It scared me. "JACK!" I screamed, frightened. "NO! No I don't want to leave!_ NO! MOM! NO! Come with meeee!_" He cried. Then he was suddenly bolt upright, screaming and gasping for air. "Jack!" I cried, then realized all of us had cried it at once.

His hands went up to his throat and he started gasping and coughing. "Just calm down, son. Take slow, deep breaths, calm down." I heard the doctor tell him. Jack didn't calm down, he kept wheezing. I glanced over at the heart monitor. His heart rate was 170. I could feel my own heart thumping rapidly. "Get him the oxygen mask!" The doctor told the nurse. They grabbed a mask and shoved it over his face.

Jack's eyes bulged and he tried to shove it away. The doctor grabbed his hands and held them against Jack's chest. "Calm down, it's alright, just breathe." He told him. The nurse was still holding the mask against his face. After a little while, he looked slightly less afraid, but his breathing was still heavy, even as the nurse lifted away the oxygen mask. Jack's eyes continued shifting nervously.

"Jack?" I asked. His eyes flicked over to meet mine. I stared into his soft olive green eyes, which were wide and frightened, a look I had never seen claim them before. "Jack, are you alright?" I asked. He blinked. "I-I'm fine…. Who are you people?" He asked. His eyes began shifting nervously again. I heard the others behind me murmuring. "He doesn't remember us!" I heard Eddie hiss.

I continued staring at him. "Kim…" He whispered. "You're Kim." He told me. I smiled. "That's right." I replied softly, glad he was getting his memory back. But then… was that really a good thing? Just as the thought crossed my mind, Jack threw himself back against the bed, moaning. "No…" He whimpered. "Make it stop!" He moaned, covering his face. I tried to jump forward. "Stand back." The doctor told me. I obeyed, though I was itching to be at his side.

Jack threw himself around in the bed violently, screaming for us to make it stop. "Sedate him!" The doctor cried. The nurse was filling a needle then pushed Jack's sleeve back, trying to inject him. Jack pulled his arm away and wouldn't keep still. I jumped forward, grabbing his arms.

"Jack!" I cried. "Jack! Look at me! Listen; it's alright Jack!" I cried. He stared at me. I squeezed his hands. I could feel his pulse thumping rapidly through them. He locked eyes with me, calming slightly. "It's okay!" I told him quietly. "Just calm down, you're fine." I smiled for him. He was shaking. Oh my poor sweet Jack… I moved over and wrapped my arms around him.

"It's okay, everything's fine." I told him softly. I hummed quietly and literally felt his heart rate slowing. I rested my chin on his head, closing my eyes and rocking back and forth. He was finally calm. I started to pull back, but he wouldn't let me, so I stayed right there with him. "Let's let him rest." I heard the doctor whisper, ushering everyone else out.

I turned my head so that my cheek rested on his soft hair. I murmured nonsense to him, but it didn't matter what I was saying, all he heard was the softness of my voice. That's all he cared about, all he needed to hear. After a long while, my legs were starting to feel all the kicks I'd been doing in practice. I started pulling away. He protested loudly.

"Shh, it's okay, I'm not going anywhere." I told him. I slid up onto the bed beside him, careful of all the things they had hooked up to him. I wrapped my arms around him again and he snuggled up to me like a frightened child. "It's gonna be fine Jack." I told him. He rested his head on my chest, right under my chin. I moved my head sideways again, so that my chin wouldn't dig into his scalp. I leaned my cheek on his head.

I blinked, feeling his heart pound softly, no longer threatening to beat out of his chest. I sighed softly, closing my eyes.

**POV: Jack Brewer (about ten minutes later)**

**Time: 5:00pm ; 282 hours and twenty minutes since the start of the incident ; 222 hours and fifty minutes since first attempt ; approximately fourteen days since last eaten**

I woke up from a dreamless sleep. I was in a small room and there was someone next to me. To be more specific, I was using them as a pillow. I turned my head slightly. It was Kim. I moved my head back, resettling into my comfortable position. I loved the feeling of her next to me.

I stared at our feet. Her legs were next to mine. For some reason, I counted our feet. –I was out of it, okay?- Yep, four every time. I yawned, thinking. Being that I was still alive; meant that my latest attempt had ended in miserable failure, again.

I was terrible at everything! Even at suicide, which, apparently, people pulled off every day. While I was desperately trying to end my life, it seemed others were determined to keep me here in my misery. I sighed and snuggled up closer to Kim. Her heartbeat against my head was soothing.

I pretended that the heartbeat was my mothers. Often nights, we would sit together on the couch and curl up with a bowl of pop-corn and watch a scary movie. Even into my teen years, I would still shield my face whenever something scary happened by turning my head quickly into her. Listening to her steady, gentle heartbeat would calm my own. She would hug me and tell me when I could watch again.

I smiled at the memory, feeling little tears in my eyes. _Oh mom, I wish I could be with you again, but every time I try, someone stops me! _I cried out in my mind, wondering if she could hear my thoughts from the peaceful meadow, wherever that was. _Your time hasn't come, Jack, I promise I will wait for you! _I sat bolt upright, startling Kim awake. "Jack?" I heard her ask. I ignored her; my mind was on my mother. "Mom?" I cried, throwing the sheets aside and trying to get up. "Jack, lay back down!" Kim told me.

I felt a sharp pain in my arm when I ripped myself free of the IV. I felt warm sticky liquid dripping down my arm. I ignored that too. "Mom?" I cried, opening the door and trying to go out. Kim had caught hold of my arm and was pulling me. Ja-AAAA!" She cried when I threw her off.

"MOM!" I cried, running down the hall now. I could hear her voice. She was just at the end of this hall, just around the corner, I kept telling myself. "Mom!" I was smiling, I could see her now! I was about to jump at her and hug her tightly when I was grabbed from behind, arms wrapped over mine and around my waist, lifting me up and carrying me. I became frantic, my mother was walking away! "NO! Mom! NO come back!" I shrieked, fighting with all my might. "NO!" I shrieked frantically. I was thrown back into the bed and strapped down.

I kept screaming, then the doctor injected me and I started seeing black spots. "MOM!" I wailed one last time before my head fell back and I was completely out.

**POV: Rudy Gillespie (right after Jack's mental breakdown)**

**Time: 5:30pm ; 282 hours and fifty minutes since the start of the incident ; 223 hours and ten minutes since first attempt ; approximately fourteen days since last eaten **

I stared at Jack, my mind whirling. "I thought Kim had calmed him down?" What happened?" I asked. "Jack, is having some very serious emotional difficulties right now, Mister Gillespie." The doctor sighed. I looked at him, then back at Jack. There were tears all over the boys face. They had him strapped down, and there were bandages on his arm where he'd ripped the IV needle right out, which had caused damage to him, being that he had NOT done it gently.

Kim stood worriedly at my side, shifting her weight impatiently, making a meal out of her lower lip, she was chewing on it so much. I sighed. "What do you suggest we do?" I asked. "Well, I suggest you send him to a mental care center, and start him on seeing a therapist regularly." The doctor told me.

I made a face. Why did it feel the responsibility for Jack's care was back on me? After all, hadn't I signed the release papers? Shouldn't the Child Protection Agency be dealing with this?

I looked undecided. Jack would _not _appreciate going to a therapist. He didn't even like telling _me _about his problems, I couldn't see him telling a total stranger about what he was going through. But I trusted the doctor.

"Okay." I said finally. "Any places you recommend?" I asked. "Come with me, we'll discuss this in my office." He told me. "Keep an eye on him, Lauren." The doctor told the nurse that was standing there. She nodded and turned back to the boy. I sighed and followed the doctor, casting a quick glance back at Jack. "Hang in there, buddy." I whispered.

**POV: Kim Crawford (right after Jack's mental breakdown)**

**Time: Time: 5:30pm ; 282 hours and fifty minutes since the start of the incident ; 223 hours and ten minutes since first attempt ; approximately fourteen days since last eaten **

I stared at Jack. His face was twisted in pain, and was still wet. I stood and wiped his cheeks, letting my hand rest on his cheekbone. "Oh Jack." I whispered. "I wish I could help you, I wish there was something I could do. If I could take your place, I would." I whispered.

"No you wouldn't." I looked up at Lauren, the nurse. I hadn't realized I was speaking aloud. I made a face. "What makes you say that?" I asked, suspicious at the nerve of this random nurse. She shrugged, putting some tools away. "Well, Jack's been through a lot. It's just not something someone would want to go through." She told me.

I made a face, studying her. She had short, curly blonde hair and looked about my age. "That's exactly why I wish it were me, so Jack wouldn't have to deal with this." I glared at her. She crossed her arms. "Oh really? You wish it were _you _that'd been raped? _Your _mom that died?" She asked. This time I was the one who crossed my arms. "How do _you _know what happened to Jack?" I asked, suspicious.

She shrugged. "I hear things." Was her lame reply. I nodded, staring at her. "Right." I turned back to Jack. "It's too bad he's going through all this." I looked back up at her. She was staring at Jack. "He's a pretty good looking guy." She was smiling. When she turned away, I mocked her by mouthing what she'd said, with my own version of her face.

I sighed and turned back to Jack. I leaned down, planting a gentle kiss on his cheek, making sure Lauren saw. She snorted, glaring at me, turning back to her work.

I slid the chair in the room closer to the bed so I could sit closer to him. I carefully clutched his hand. It was cold. I played with his fingers, my mind drifting back to all the fun times we'd shared. Would we ever be able to do that again? Would _anything _ever go back to normal? Would Jack's mental scars ever heal? Or was he preordained to live the rest of his life in a mental hospital, his mentality full of psychological glitches?

I sighed. Just seeing Jack like this was enough to undermine the willpower of any warrior. Even me. _Especially _me. Even though Jack considered Jerry to be his best friend, I considered Jack to be mine.

I found myself stroking the back of his hand. I stopped, staring at him. He was incredibly pale. I looked at him, head to toe. I pulled the sheet aside, something seemed to be wrong; something I had been too worried about other things to notice. I stared at him, drawing his shirt back. My eyes widened. I could see his ribs! And his hips, and every bone! He was unbelievably thin! What in the world…? I stood up, gawking. Were they not feeding him at the orphanage?

I ran my hand along his torso, starting at his chest, over his bumpy ribs, dipping down and smoothing over his unnaturally flat stomach and ending at his distinct hip bones, all too visible to be healthy. I felt his shirt; it was suspicious at how thick it was, conveniently covering his malnourished form.

I looked up at the nurse. She was gone. I jogged to the door, opening it and looking out. "DOCTOR!" I screamed. Several heads spun in my direction. I was already back in the room.

"What's wrong?" The doctor panted, barging in. Rudy was right at his heels. "Look at him!" I cried, pulling his shirt back more. "Look! You can count his ribs! And see his hips!" I cried. "Good Lord!" The doctor came over and examined him.

Rudy's eyes were wide as he stared at Jack. I chewed on my nails. "Hook him up to this." He thrust a thingy at a nurse that had appeared. "We need to get some nutrients into him." I stared, my eyes never leaving the horrifying sight of Jack's ribs visible through his skin, when one should normally have to look closer to see them.

Rudy started stuttering. "I-I thought the orphanage he was in was a great place!" He cried. "It is, this isn't the result of the orphanage not feeding him." The doctor told him, putting on a stethoscope. "I've been to Carson's Home for Children, it's one of the best orphanages there is. This is a result of Jack refusing to eat."

I stared at him. It wasn't like Jack to not eat. He loved to eat. But I knew he hadn't been himself in weeks. He must have figured out this as another way to kill himself. Not the best or fastest way in the book, but apparently he'd been able to get away with it for a long time.

I looked up at the doctor. "He's been in a coma for a week, why hasn't anyone been feeding him?" I asked. He looked at me. "He was just brought here today, about an hour ago, right before we called you; he's been at that Carson's med center for this whole time. We're going to have to have a talk with them about this."

I bit my lip, and realized how sore it was, I must have been doing that a lot. _Jack, you've got to stop doing this to me, pretty soon, I'm going to run out of lip to bite._

**POV: Lauren Willis (when Kim discovers Jack's too skinny)**

_Snort. Stupid, annoying, daughter of a… hey, what's all the commotion about? _I thought, hearing that stupid Kim girl scream, then seeing a bunch of doctors and nurses crowding outside the room Jack was in. I squeezed through them, looking at Jack. Oh, they'd finally found out how skinny he was. How pathetic that it took so long.

I squeezed back out. My shift had ended. I clocked out and grabbed my purse. Time to go home. The hospital was close enough to my house to walk home.

I thought about Jack, and that annoying Kim girl as I walked. Kim had looked suspicious when I slipped up and said that I knew about Jack being raped, and about his mom. Thank goodness I hadn't said how much I _really _knew about him_. _I thought.

Jack was my religion, I knew _everything _about him. I followed him everywhere; at school, at his house, online. Some would call what I do stalking, but I call it tracking him ubiquitously, using every type of technology available, lacking only his knowledge of the matter –there's a difference.

I unlocked my house, going immediately to my room and my computer. I turned it on. I smiled at my desktop; it had a spliced picture I'd created that made it look like Jack and I were kissing. I was very proud of it, it looked real. I had shown many of my friends and easily convinced them that he had indeed kissed me, they were _so _jealous.

I smiled and opened my email, browsing through them. I had subscribed to a network that helped me to follow Jack everywhere. I was exceptionally good with technology, and was able to hack any site. Yes, a_ny _site. I had hacked Jack's _facebook _page, and made it so that I was friends with him and could view his page, and he didn't even know it. And with the help my little bother's heli-cam -he had a remote controlled helicopter toy with a camera on it, and I used it a lot- I could take pictures and video's of him while he was out in public and he wouldn't even know it.

I had found all his accounts on every website he'd ever gone to by watching him through a webcam I'd installed in his room. I had nearly been caught by his nosey mother the day I installed it. Boy I had some good footage of him dressing and undressing. I smiled, going through all the hidden surveillance shots of him I'd captured over the years.

I smiled at a particularly cute one of him I'd taken a couple weeks ago. I clicked to the next one, then kept scrolling. I stopped on one from about a week ago; it was of Jack in the bathroom of his room at the orphanage, right after he'd taken those pills. I shook my head. That boy was persistent. I scrolled through the pictures of all the times he'd tried to kill himself. I had one of him in the janitor's closet, one of him in his room, cutting his wrist, one of him in the cafeteria, slipping food under the table, and of course, the one with the pills.

I even had videos of the attempts. I scrolled through the video's I had of him –which were very, _very _many- and chose one I liked the best and viewed it for the millionth time. It was one of him singing in his room while he played the guitar. Who knew he could play and had such an amazing voice? Well, I did, of course, but probably no one else.

I knew everything about him. Like how he loved horses –though he told everyone who asked that he didn't- and was an expert equestrian. How he had asthma –and didn't tell anyone, of course- I knew how he had a passion for books, -no seriously, he came home from the library with a new stack every week- He loved romance movies, which I thought was _so _hot. He loved to go for walks and pick flowers. His friend, Jerry had caught him once, and Jack had to come up with an excuse, that his mother had made him go out and get her some to decorate their house with.

I knew all his fears. Like the one where he couldn't swim for the life of him, and had a deathly fear of the water. How he was scared to _death _of spiders. He didn't even like playing spider solitaire. He was scared of fire ever since his house caught on fire a few years back and nearly burned to the ground with him in it. He didn't like big dogs, ever since one bit him when he was three. He was uncomfortable in cars ever since a car accident he'd been in on his seventh birthday.

I smiled, marveling at all the pictures I had of him all over the walls of my room. My mother wasn't allowed in my room because of it, if she saw how obsessed I was with Jack, she'd flip. I leaned back in my chair, watching another of my favorite clips –but I'm not going to tell you what it is, you'd hate me. Okay, fine, it was of him in the shower. Yes, the shower.

My mind flashed back to the first time we met, when he'd been staring up at the stars. "Hey." I said to him. He jumped, startled, swinging a fist at me. I rotated my shoulder ninety degrees, dodging his fist. "Oh, hello." He smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, you startled me." He told me, folding his arms. I smiled. "It's fine." I told him.

"What you doing back in this alleyway? Kind of dangerous, don't you think?" I'd asked. He shrugged, flashing me an 'I can handle anything' smile. "I can handle anything." I smiled at the how easy it was to predict his next words by watching his facial expressions.

"What about you?" He asked. I shrugged. "Just going for a stroll." I told him. He looked at his watch. "At 11:30 at night?" He gave me a weird look. I shrugged again. He nodded, crossing his arms and leaning back."I' m Lauren, by the way." I leaned forward and kissed him. He looked _very _startled. He pushed me away. "Dude, personal space!" He cried, smoothing his shirt. I shrugged, yet again.

He shook his head, turning it slightly to look at something that had caught his eye. I took advantage of that moment to kick him in the ribs, hard. That's right, I'm a black-belt too. He stumbled, clutching his side. "What did you do that for?" He cried. I didn't stop; I did a double side-kick. He ducked and blocked the other. I swung several well-aimed blows, and eight of the ten hit him. He was only able to block two. He kicked and I stumbled back, pretending to be hurt badly. Being the good-natured boy he was, he rushed forward to see if he'd hurt me.

"I'm sorry! Are you okay? You shouldn't have tried that!" He cried, shaking me. I moaned and clutched at my stomach. "Here, let me just… I didn't mean to…"

"HIYA!" I cried, kicking him in the face. He fell backward, out-cold in an instant. I stood up, perfectly fine and smiled down at him. "Oh Jack, you're so cute when you care." I told him, slipping off my clothes. "Time for some fun."

I smiled at the memory, my mind returning to the present. It was incredible, finally actually meeting him after following him so closely for nine years. I loved how genius I'd been, manipulating a serum to make him forget the whole thing. Letting him wake up, and wonder what had happened. Actually, he'd been awake for a lot of the rape, but he'd been adequately tied down, and even doped a little so that he went along with it.

And then, later, when he'd been at the hospital, I had taken advantage of him hiding in his little mental shell, and had gotten some fun time in. He hadn't cared enough to try to stop me, or to even bother trying to see who I was.

I yawned, closing my laptop and getting ready for bed. Jack was an easy target. I had stolen his friend's cell-phones and texted him about going to the alley.

I had made sure he wouldn't die each time he'd tried: I had told the nanny who'd found him in the closet where he'd gone. I'd knocked on the door to his room the time he'd cut his wrist, making the other kid, Laban get up and see the blood. I had hidden a special powder in Laban's water, to make his throat hurt so he'd have to go back and find Jack in the bathroom with the pills.

I had volunteered at the Carson's Home for Children, working in the med bay, as the one in charge of feeding Jack. I hadn't fed him at all. I knew that they would transfer him to the hospital where I had my full-time job if he didn't start getting better. He didn't, thanks to me. I was a genius!

I smiled, getting ready for bed. "Good night Jack." I whispered, kissing a picture of him I kept in the bed, then turning off the light and going to sleep.

**(A/N: Okay, so what do you think? I finally decided to reveal the person behind all this! This chapter shows how Jack is slowly losing his mind over this, and how much it's been affecting Kim, though she hasn't been showing it throughout the story. I already had planned to do somethigng like this, but I got the idea from (guest) who posted a review and gave me an idea! I.e. stuff like Jack having things that he keeps secret from everyone else, so, thanks for that! Enjoy, and please REVIEW! :D**


	7. The startling memory

**Chapter 7: The startling memory**

**POV: Jack Brewer (two weeks later)**

**Time: 5:00pm ; clear mind **

**Location: Seaford Mental hospital; room 94**

I stared up at the ceiling, unable to move, unable to care. When I had first come here, I would flex my hands, which were cuffed to the side of my bed, and I would try to get the feeling to come back into my legs by stiffly moving them as much as possible, what with my ankles pinned down as well. I was weak, from all the needles that had pieced my skin in random places, tired of all the cat –scans, MRI's, and other stupid things.

I was tired of going to a therapist every day, telling them what I saw in the ink blobs, and how I felt. I felt the same every time I went, and sometimes –more often than not- I felt worse. The doctors at the mental facility had to tie me down, otherwise I would refuse to stay in the bed, waiting patiently for them to finish with their constant tests.

The mental doctors had labeled me with some hard to pronounce thing that I knew I didn't have. A serious mental illness that featured major depression or the bipolar disorder.

It was some brain disorder that distorts the way a person thinks, acts, expresses emotions, perceives reality, and relates to others.

I knew I didn't have this. I knew I didn't have any kind of 'mental condition' I was perfectly sound, but not perfectly whole. My heart was what they should be looking at. It felt as though it were ripped to pieces, or missing altogether.

Depression, I knew was an illness that is marked by feelings of sadness, worthlessness, or hopelessness, as well as problems concentrating and remembering details. _Now that, that I might have. _I thought dejectedly.

They had me on a force-fed diet of nothing but disgusting supplements that were high in medicine that was supposed to help with the supposed condition.

Not only was I sent to a therapist, I was also sent to a child psychiatrist about my hypothetical mental condition and depression. _Twice _a day.

I blinked slowly. My arms were numb. I felt a needle poke into me. I winced, though I was used to it by now. They must be doing _another _blood test. I turned my head slightly, looking at who it was. I recognized Gregory, my least-favorite doctor. He was rough and uncaring with his work.

I winced again when the man roughly taped the IV to my arm. Oh, so it was another IV. Fleetingly, I wondered what they were pumping into me this time. I continued staring at him. He glanced up from his work every so often, not offering a smile or a comforting word.

Not that I cared, it wouldn't sound comforting coming from him. I preferred when one of the nurse's were here. They were nicer, gentler, and even would take my hands out of the straps for me so I could stretch.

I found it disgusting that they were wasting their recourses on me when there were people out there who _actually _had mental issues.

"Hello Jackson, time to eat." My head spun at the mention of another meal at this place. I didn't want any more of their food, it was horrible. I felt the bed bend as the nurse –obviously the one who hated me most- put the bed into a sitting position. "I'm not hungry." I croaked. She shrugged. "Not my problem, kid. I'm just here to feed you, not sympathize with you."

I always refused to eat, so they had to force feed me. It was a painful process and a battle of wills that usually ended in the favor of whoever was feeding me; I wasn't strong enough to fight back as hard as I used to.

She held the food to my lips. I ceiled them shut, refusing to let the… whatever that is, enter my mouth. She sighed and let her arm drop. "You know that they might use percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy on you if you keep refusing to eat?" She glared at me. "What's that?" I asked, not liking the sound of it. "It's where they stick a tube down your throat and make an incision in the skin on your abdomen, then they stick a needle in your stomach and…" She started. "NO!" I yelped. "Here, feed me, I'll eat!" I cried, opening my mouth for her.

An amused grin slid over her face and she popped the nasty food into my mouth. I winced as I chewed, it was disgusting. I glared at her the whole time she fed me. It didn't take long for my still small stomach to fill. "That's enough." I moaned, laying back. "You should eat more." She told me. "I don't want to." I glared at her. She sighed and picked up the food, showing it to me. "You barely ate ten bites!" She stated. "I'm full." I told her. She snorted, rolling her eyes and walking out.

I sighed. Now that food was over, the doctor would be in shortly to check on me, then would take me in for another cat-scan or MRI or another type of test, then I would be wheeled back into my room. My room had nothing in it. Rooms in mental hospitals never did. They were padded completely to keep someone with mental issues from hurting themselves in any way.

I counted the seconds… sixty, sixty-one, sixty-two... sixty-three…"Ah, how are you today, Jack?" Right on time. I glared at him. "Worse, now that you're here." I told him. He smiled lightly, obviously thinking my hating him was induced by my 'mental condition'

"We're going to skip the scan; you have a special visitor today." He told me. My heart leapt for joy for the first time in months. "Is it Kim? Is it Jerry?" I cried, delighted. "No." he shook his head. "Meet mister Winnborne." He stepped aside and a man in a suit entered. "He's a special child psychologist." He told me. Words could not describe my disappointment, and my heart dropped even lower than it had been before. I groaned. "Not another one…" I protested.

"Hello Jack." The man smiled at me insincerely. I glared back. "I'll be in my office." The doctor told the psychologist. "Hey." He smiled at me, sitting down. "Now, I need you to tell me, what you see here." He lifted another one of those stupid cards with ink blobs on them.

I stared at it intensely. Honestly? All I saw was an ink blob. I blinked. "Are you for real man?" I glared at him. He blinked, surprised, flipping to the next one. "Seriously dude, there's nothing wrong with me!" I told him. He raised his eyebrows. "Oh really? Well, just, look at it and tell me what you see." I told me.

I sighed, staring at it. I shook my head, then glanced back at it, then tried to grab it, but my hands were still strapped down. "Hold it closer!" I demanded. He did. I studied it. It looked like… it… My mind whirled. It _did _remind me of something… But what? I cocked my head, concentrating. "It… reminds me, of, something…" I started. "What?" He asked. I blinked shaking my head. "I don't remember…" I cocked my head the other way.

Every way I looked at it, it still reminded me of… I made a face. Something was tickling the back of my brain. It reminded me… of… My eyes bulged. Memory came back to me in a startling jolt, I knew who the rapist was! I had seen her, she was one of the nurses who had been in the last hospital I was in!

"You gotta let me out! I need to talk to Rudy! I need to! Let me go! I need to speak to Rudy!" I cried. "Doctor!" The psychiatrist called. He didn't need to, the doctor had heard my commotion.

'Doctor! You gotta let me go, I know something that can get em out of this mess! Well, sort of, but.. I just need to speak to Rudy!" I begged. The doctor shook his head. 'We can't let you leave, but we can get your friend, Rudy to come here." He told me. "Please do!" I begged.

The doctor nodded. "I'll give him a call." He told me. "In the meantime, mister Winnborne, continue with him please." He told the psychiatrist. He nodded, sitting back down. I let my head fall back. At least now I knew who it had been.

**POV: Rudy Gillespie (twenty minutes later)**

**Time: 5:20pm ; clear mind**

I had brought Kim and Jerry with me. The doctor had told me that Jack was requesting my presence. I knew something must be up, because last time I saw him, he told me he hated me.

I walked into the room he was in."Hey Jack." I smiled at him, trying not to stare at the straps that held him in place. Jack glared at the doctor until he left, then his stare bore into Kim and Jerry.

"I'm out." Jerry turned and left, Kim was not as easy to persuade. I had a feeling I knew what this was about. "Kim? Why don't you let Jack and I talk for a minute?" I asked. She made a face and walked out.

I turned back to Jack. "Rudy!" He begged. "Listen, I know who it was that… you know…" I nodded for his benefit. "You remember?" I asked. He nodded. "It was that… nurse at the Seaford hospital, um, I think… Lauren! Her name was Lauren!" He cried. I nodded. "I'll call the police." I told him, turning to go out. "Rudy wait!" He called. I stopped, then slowly turned around.

He stared at me pleadingly. "Don't leave me here." He begged. I stared at him, then let my gaze rest on the floor, then the ceiling. I was thinking. "Okay, hold on. I'll be right back." I told him.

**POV: Kim Crawford (right after Rudy left)**

I stared at Jack. "Hey." I smiled at him. "Kim, you've got to help me!" He begged. I came over to his side, caring, yet unsure. "Untie me, please!" He stared up at me with those beautiful olive orbs. I stared back. Then, fully trusting him, I untied his left arm. He moved to work on his right while I got his legs.

"Why were you tied?" I asked. "So I wouldn't escape." He told me. He was plucking off the various things attached to his body. "Help me with these IV's." He asked. I timidly helped him take them off. I'd done it before as a candy striper, but I wasn't sure if it was a good idea to take them off without a doctors permission. I had to help Jack stand, his legs were too wobbly to hold his weight.

"Grab my clothes, there right there." He told me. I did. I helped him to the boy's bathroom. He was still unable to stand on his own, and therefore, I had to go in with him-my eyes adequately squeezed shut- while I was careful to hold him where it wasn't awkward –though it still was- Fortunately, I think the bathroom was empty –I at least hope it was-

I found it amusing that he trusted me to not peek at him while he was dressing, him, knowing that every other girl –probably in the world- would have.

I was finally able to open my eyes as we went out. The front desk lady looked at us weird, but we pretended to be boyfriend and girlfriend, hugging on each other to explain why I was completely wrapped around Jack and he was leaning on me.

Fortunately, we were able to get out without anyone else seeing us. "That was close, Jack." I told him, opening Rudy's car door and letting him sit down. Jack nodded, letting himself rest for a moment.

"Are you okay?" I asked. "No." he moaned. "I'm all light-headed." He slid down until he was laying on his back in the backseat. "There you guys are!" It was Rudy, Jerry was with him. "Get in, before they notice he's gone!" Rudy told us, jumping in the driver's seat. Jerry had shotgun and I got into the back seat, letting Jack use my lap as a pillow.

(ten minutes into the car ride, still Kim's POV)

I held his head steady with my left hand, my other hand lay limply on his chest. He was only half-asleep, but he didn't have his eyes open. I played with his hair absent-mindedly. It was duller than usual, not to mention lifeless. That was unusual for Jack, because his hair was always in amazing shape.

I started to wonder if he really was sick. I leaned my head down to his face and listened. His breathing was choppy and ragged. I could hear a strange wheezing sound coming from him. I looked up, confused. "Hey Rudy?" I asked. "Yeah?" I saw him glance at me through the rear-view mirror. "Is Jack Asthmatic?" I asked. I saw Rudy's brow crease. "…not, that I know of… why?" He asked.

"It sounds like he is, do you hear that?" I asked. We stopped talking. "Yeah, I hear it, hold on, we're almost there." He told me. I bit my lip. I slipped my hand down to his waist and fumbled through his pockets, maybe he had an inhaler. My hand hit something, I grabbed it and drew it out. By golly, an inhaler!

I shook Jack and his eyes opened. "Here." I gave him the little device. He snatched it and put it to his mouth, closing his eyes as he breathed in the medicine. He finally pulled it away from his mouth. "Thanks." He whispered, his voice sounding raspy.

I smiled for him, not really angry, but more than a little upset that he'd kept his Asthma a secret from me. Fleetingly, I wondered if there were any other secrets he had. I sighed. It didn't matter right now. Rudy pulled to a halt in front of his house. Well, it wasn't really 'his' house, he just rented it, but it's where he lived.

"Rudy? Can I stay over tonight? I want to keep an eye on Jack." I asked, unbuckling. "If you're parents are okay with it." He told me. Between him and Jerry, Jack was in the house before I was out of the car.

I slipped out and up onto the porch. I turned and looked at the quiet street. Something was out of place, but I couldn't figure out what it was. I shrugged and followed the boys into the house.

**(A/N: I know, I know, the dreaded cliff-hanger... I can be persuaded to update sooner if you REVIEW! :)**


	8. Taken

**Chapter 8: Taken**

**POV: Kim Crawford (right after going inside)**

"There you go buddy." Jerry was saying as he helped Jack into bed. I smiled down at Jack as he immediately curled up. He stared uncertainly at me, trying to keep his eyes open. "It's okay Jack, just lie back and relax." I told him, smoothing his hair out of his eyes. He smiled gratefully to me and let his eyes close. He was soon fast asleep.

I sighed and walked out, closing the door behind me. Jack was with us, out of that horrible mental center, and was sure to get better. I hoped for his sake that his life would steadily slow down on the drama. There had been quite a bit of it lately. I plopped down on Rudy's couch and took my phone, calling my mom.

"Hey, mom. I know it's late… yeah…mom, just… hold…. Let me explain!" I shouted. She became silent and I felt guilty for shouting. "Sorry for shouting, you just wouldn't let me talk." I told her, continuing before she could reply. "Can I stay at Rudy's tonight?" I asked.

"Rudy's?" She sounded incredulous. "Why?!" She demanded. "It's Jack, I wanted to stay and help Rudy look after him." I explained. She was silent for several moments. She sighed. "…alright..." She consented. "Thanks!" I smiled. "I'll probably be home sometime tomorrow." I told her. She sighed again. "I don't like the idea of you spending the night at some man's house…" I could picture her shaking her head. "MoooOOoom! You know Rudy!" I cried. "I know! I know, love you sweetheart, goodnight. And I want you to have your _own _room!" She told me before hanging up.

I made a face and turned off my phone. What kind of a guy did she think Rudy was? I shook my head and went into the kitchen. Jerry and Rudy were sitting at the table, talking quietly. I sighed and sat down. "My mom said I could stay." I told him. "Alright, there's a spare room upstairs." He told me.

I nodded. _HA! Take that, mom. _I thought. I sighed, standing. 'I'm going to go check on Jack…." I started. Rudy grabbed my arm. "Hold up, Kim. Don't bother him, just let him rest. He's probably sick of people 'checking in' on him." He told me. He was right, I should give Jack some space. I sighed and sat back down. "Anyone want to play hearts?"

**POV: Lauren Willis **

**(right after Rudy, Kim, Jerry and Jack left the mental center)**

Curse those stupid doctors! They had taken my Jack away to a _mental hospital! _I fumed the entire day at the hospital, making as many fatal 'mistakes' as I could to show my anger. I can proudly write in my diary tonight that one of my patients is now in need of surgery. It wouldn't be the most disturbing thing in my diary to say the least.

It had been a week since my beautiful Jack had left. I couldn't stand it any longer. At the end of the day, I quit.

I smiled to myself as I walked home. Now, I can go the mental place and apply there. I made a face. But that wasn't enough. Just being near Jack every day _wasn't enough. _I needed him. I _needed _him. _Literally. _I had once read something about people being obsessed with things, and getting sick if they're without it for too long. I had been without Jack for my entire life. I wasn't about ready to let that continue.

I checked my e-mail when I got home. It said Jack was let out of the mental center? I went over everything. Ah, now I know where he is. I smiled to myself. Then frowned when I saw my latest update. He knew I was behind this! I had to leave! I looked out my window and saw police cars pulling up. I needed to leave n_ow. _

I gathered all my things as fast as I could. I heard the doorbell ring. I smiled and went down into the cellar. My mom didn't know this, but I had a secret exit down here. I was able to leave the house by way of the sewers. It was disgusting, but totally worth it.

(ten minutes later)

It was late. I finally made it to Rudy Gillespie's house. Jack was just now being carried inside by his Latino friend -Jerry- and Rudy. I saw Kim sop on the porch and look out for some reason. Surely she couldn't see me? I was well hidden in the bushes of the house across the way.

To my relief, she turned and went inside. I waited until it was dark, then a few more minutes for good measure before sneaking across the road and onto the property of the beat up old house. I flipped my backpack onto my back and strapped it. I then grabbed hold of some vines climbing up the side of the porch. I climbed them and sat on the roof of the porch, which was close enough to a window I could hear them talking.

"It's okay, Jack. Just lie back and relax." I heard the stupid Kim girl say in a soothing voice that made me want to vomit. I held back my stomach, however, when I heard the door close. Now, this part was going to be tricky… but I was excellent at karate, parkour and other types of gymnastics and considered myself –and others called me- a contortionist. I could squeeze through the smallest of spaces, do incredible contortions with my body that make you want to puke, and other awesome stuff.

I climbed to where the porch awning met the side of the second-floor. I inched to the side as far as I could go and reached my hand up to the open window. I used my upper-body strength –ten times the amount of most girls my age- to pull myself up to peek through. I saw my Jack, lying on the bed, asleep. I carefully scanned the room. It was empty.

I pulled myself the rest of the way up and swung into the room. I smiled, pumping my fists and silently cheering in delight. I was reminded of how important haste was when someone walked past the door. I slid over to the bed and took off my backpack, silently unzipping it and drawing out some binders and a gag. He never felt me as I put the gag over his mouth and the cuffs over his hands.

I then took out one of my serums I'd made just for an occasion such as this. I took a cloth and thoroughly dampened it with the serum. I held the cloth over Jack's mouth and nose, and as he breathed it in, he was put into a deeper sleep. I smiled and put my equipment back into my bag, then carefully took Jack onto my shoulders.

Climbing back out the window was difficult with Jack on my shoulders, but nothing was impossible for me when I was determined to get my own way.

I smiled when I finally touched the ground. I had gotten in and out without a single mishap! And now, to make myself scarce…

**THE END! **

_Almost…_

I smiled down at my prize as he struggled against his bonds. He had finally woken up. I leaned back against the wall, my arms crossed as I continued to stare at him. He had no idea what was going on. I had blindfolded him, gagged him and tied him. He finally stopped struggling, and instead lay still, panting. I smiled again and walked over to the open door and looked out.

Miles and miles of fields swept past us in a pace fast enough for one to become confused. But I wasn't confused. I knew exactly where we were. We were on a train, headed for another country. I looked back at Jack. He would make a great husband.

**_TO BE CONTINUED….._**

**(A/N: I plan on making a sequel! Don't worry. I just need some encouragement from your REVIEWS?**


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